Democrats in Congress introduced a bill known as the Keeping All Students Safe Act last month. The measure would bar seclusion at any school receiving federal tax dollars and significantly limit the use of restraint to situations where the safety of students and teachers is at risk.
Data released earlier this year by the Department of Education indicates that 122,000 students were subject to restraint or seclusion in the nation’s schools during the 2015-2016 academic year. Children with disabilities accounted for 71 percent of those restrained and 66 percent of seclusion cases.
In addition to ending seclusion and curtailing the use of restraint, the measure would require training for any school staff members who restrain students, ensure that restraint could not be used as a planned intervention and mandate that parents be notified if their child is subject to the practice, among other changes.